The evolution of computers and networking technologies from high-cost, low performance data processing systems to low cost, high-performance communication, problem solving, and entertainment systems has provided a cost-effective and time saving means to lessen the burden of performing every day tasks such as correspondence, bill paying, shopping, budgeting information and gathering, etc. For example, a computing system interfaced to the Internet, by way of wire or wireless technology, can provide a user with a channel for nearly instantaneous access to a wealth of information from a repository of web sites and servers located around the world. Such a system, as well, allows a user to not only gather information, but also to provide information to disparate sources. As such, online data storing and management has become increasingly popular.
For example, collaborative social networking websites have exploded world-wide. These sites allow users to create remotely stored profiles including personal data such as age, gender, schools attended, graduating class, places of employment, etc. The sites subsequently allow other users to search the foregoing criteria in an attempt to locate other users—be it to find a companion with similar interests or locate a long lost friend from high school. As another more practical example, banking websites offer users the ability to remotely store information concerning bills to be paid. By utilizing this feature, users can automatically schedule bill payments to be made from their bank account which will be automatically debited when the payment is scheduled. This allows simultaneous electronic management of account balancing and bill paying such to save the user from manually entering checks into the register of their checkbook.
These communications require use of some kind of protocol to provide data conformity such that the website being utilized knows what the user is requesting. Some basic protocols exist today, but are many times too open-ended, meaning the standards of communicating data are so loose that it can be easy to make malicious requests and effectively injure websites. Additionally, some protocols can be too tight, or application specific, such that it is virtually impossible to add functionality to a system without reimplementing the protocol (requiring software updates to many parts of the system).
Another area of great interest in this country and the entire world is personal health and fitness. Many vastly differing concerns can be discussed in this area, such as setting and obtaining personal fitness goals and the vastly disparate topic of the inefficiencies existing in our health system. For example, today an individual wishing to receive pharmaceutical treatment for illness must first see their primary care physician. Before seeing the physician, the patient will, many times, be required to show their health insurance coverage card. During the visit, the physician will typically write a prescription for the patient. The patient, then, takes the prescription to the pharmacy for fulfillment at which time they may need to furnish their health insurance coverage card again. The pharmacy fills the prescription, notifies insurance, deducts any coverage amount and transfers the prescription to the patient upon payment of the balance. These manual steps are time-consuming, annoying, and inefficient.